To wonder how anyone can believe in a religion?

[Staringintothevoid616]

I can understand why some believe in a higher power, in many ways it’s logical and many might just feel there is one, some people might refute that, all fine and dandy.

But what on earth makes people follow a religion? There’s literally hundreds of them over the course of history, even a rudimentary bit of research/critical thinking highlights the fact they can only be man made, the rules designed to fulfil a particular mundane purpose.

What makes people pick one (beyond being born in a certain place to a certain family) over all others and go “ yep this is the one truth, these rules come from a specific god/gods/goddesses, these rules other religions are just made up”.

I mean for many it’s not just a hobby, they’re willing to shape their lives to whatever set of rules they pick, sometimes to kill and be killed. Why??? Even a second of thought must highlight their folly?

it’s not about whether a higher power exists, it’s about why people have to frame that belief on a set of clearly made up rules, which range from the bizarre (don’t eat meat on a Friday) to the downright dangerous )it’s justified to kill anyone who doesn’t believe the same set of made up rules as you do)

AIBU to wonder why people follow religions?

Most discussions about the existence of god, or the underlying realities of being, fall within the area of metaphysics. Sometimes they fall within the field of epistemology.

So how would a scientific approach be useful?

I didn't bring up metaphysics or epistemology. I'm simply saying that both religion and science are attempts to explain how we got here - I believe that a scientific approach does it better. That's it, nothing more to my argument than that.

The best way to answer questions like this is to get a very good basic history of the theology of the Christian church, say up to the Renaissance, and read it.

Because there are answers to why Christianity observes some parts of the Torah, and not others, and all the other thousands of questions you could ask, but you aren't going to get much of a coherent sense of it by asking pretty random questions on a discussion forum with almost zero background.

Can you expand on that - to me, the meaning of that verse is very clear the Laws of the prophets are the Laws set out in the Torah, ie the Jewish scriptural rules. If anything it’s a challenge to the rules made by Rabbis for Jews rather than those from God through the Prophets.Jesus is very clear all the rules set out by God previously through the Prophets of the Torah still stand. What is the basis of you alternative understanding

The knitting community has actually had massive drama in the last few years.

Interesting that some of you say that people believe for the benefits in this life. What about persecuted Christians ( there are many countries where you can be imprisoned or killed, just because you are a Christian.) Look up the Open doors watch list for the current most dangerous countries, it may surprise you. Also those who become Christians, leaving Islam, they can be terribly persecuted. They are not doing it for a benefit but because they think it is true. Often persecuted Christians aren't able to enjoy worship and community together, things that are often stated as reasons people go to church.

Thanks, I’ve got a pretty decent understanding of the development of Christianity in its various forms, most of them bear little relevance to the teachings of Jesus we have been left with in the context of His Jewish identity. There’s arguments the original writings didn’t actually talk about his resurrection. What was random about my question?

You're not alone in wondering, OP; as you say, it's not so much about having faith as this apparent need to attach it to man-made entities which are always likely to have agendas of their own - and not always admirable ones

I wonder if some appreciate having their beliefs codified, if that makes sense?
As in being given a framework of "how to do it" instead of working it out for themselves?

Yes, I think this is a very important angle to the question. Why, in the face of hell on earth do some people choose to walk into the firery hell on earth )sometimes literally) in the hope of eternal salvation- what makes them believe in the rule that choosing a particular belief system and set of rules alone will give them access to a wonderful eternity. Why those sets of beliefs?

Peter's vision in Acts 10 and in particular Acts 10:28- pretty clear on this.

Yes, I do often think this too, it takes the responsibility away somehow.

Can you expand on this and also how you link the writing in Acts to the teachings of Jesus. These are (apparently) the writings of Luke disciple of Paul. Paul had his own expansionist agenda. You need to find something in Jesus’s teachings.

A belief in an idea that is bigger than you, that makes you feel connected, whether to other people or a higher power, is a very human need. Lots of research shows people in a religion are happier than those who are not.

Getting rid of religion does not stop people having this need. Look at modern gender/ trans ideology. This is patent nonsense. Not of it makes sense, it’s utterly incoherent, can’t define or defend its key concepts. it lacks an evidence base, in fact the evidence contests it, and it’s clearly harmful. Yet it has fervant devotes and has swept the western world.

I totally agree with this, there is always something, There is definitely a need in people for this something bigger. I guess my question is, what makes them pick what ever it is, even if objectively it’s clearly not beneficial. Eg, I suing your example what causes some women to champion men coming into their spaces? What makes some choose a religion they will be killed or be called to kill for?

Religion typically has three major elements - this is more or less the kind of framework you would see discussed in a comparative religion context.

One is a set of ideas about the underlying fabric of reality, and reality itself. That may include ideas about god or gods, or the spirit world, or the afterlife. Often also creation stories and myths.

One is a set of ideas about meaning and ethics. What is good and evil, what does it mean to live a good life, why are we here.

The third is a set of practices that tie these elements together and help people live together and live according to their ethical frameworks - these are often very practical. Community connections and connection to the past and future are also important here.

One of these elements isn't necessarily more important than another, and they aren't always separable. So for example, many Orthodox Christians would say you can't understand Christianity simply as an intellectual exercise, nor even from a historical perspective; you have to experience the practice within the community to begin to see what it is all about.

You also see religion very often discussed with two (or sometimes three) types of primary expression. Poetic religion (like the Greek myths.) Philosophical expression (what you see with theology.) Or also historical expression, like parts of the New Testament. Most religions combine these but also they often emphasise one or another. But you can't look at theology and myth the same way, or historical narrative like either of them.

That's quite a reductive account of what religion is for.

But even from that perspective, is your assumption that there is nothing other than the physical world that science looks at? How would you come to that conclusion without going outside of science?

Perhaps you don't need to go outside science to explain how we got here. I don't see the need.
I guess you could try to explain consciousness, but that's a whole different thing (and itself an accidental by-product of our existence).

This is literally what Christian means

Many people of faith find rich meaning in ritual, community and traditions which connect them to “divine being”. They don’t always think that all other faiths have no validity. Many people of faith work together for good such as in running food banks or doing interfaith projects.

Definition of a religion is very important, and I would argue for something to be a coherent religion it is important that the rituals, the conceptualisation about the underlying reality and ethics etc need to form part of a coherent whole, working together etc.

I think that’s why many new age religions struggle to perform the benefits of religion for individuals. What happens when you try and mix dualist rituals and practice with non dualist concepts of reality? I would argue that many new age religions”religions” are on the cusp of what qualifies as one.

How so?

Why Christians don't follow the Torah in the same way Jews does is random in terms of this thread.

And I'm sorry, your statement says you don't know much about the development of Christianity. The Bible, in Judaism, and in Christianity, is always interpreted by the community. What that means and how it is done is fundamental to understanding both of those religions.

The question of how much of he Torah Christians should observe was first addressed in the First Council of Jerusalem, which is recorded in the book of Acts, but throughout the early church councils were how problems like this were addressed. (Including, what gets included in the scriptural canon, and what doesn't.) In this case the context of the question was whether gentile converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised. The discussion and resolution give the pattern and logic for the general principle that was used subsequently with regard to that kind of question.

Their answer was essentially that they did not need to be circumcised, that circumcision was for Jews only, and that salvation was through Christ not through adherence to the Jewish laws - but they did need to adhere to ethical rules laid out in the Torah.

But are they a believer then? Why did they choose one religion over another?

It just is! We're a result of the world's existence and our evolution has led to the development of consciousness 🤷

And who wrote Acts?